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The Processes by Which Archaeological Sites Form

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Environmental Archaeology

Part of the book series: Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique ((MATT))

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Abstract

Which of the materials recovered from archaeological sites represent human behavior and which do not? How were these materials altered over time? Are the materials representative of those present in the environment when the site formed? Which represent local communities and which are from distant locations? What were the processes by which the archaeological assemblage formed? These are just a few of the questions asked during an archaeological study, and the answers define many of the relationships among environments and cultures embedded in the archaeological record.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Georgia Museum of Natural History, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

    Elizabeth J. Reitz

  2. Nottingham Business School, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK

    Myra Shackley

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Reitz, E.J., Shackley, M. (2012). The Processes by Which Archaeological Sites Form. In: Environmental Archaeology. Manuals in Archaeological Method, Theory and Technique. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-3339-2_2

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